It was a dark and stormy winter night, and the writers' group decided it was the perfect setting for the next meeting.  Writing what?  Thriller and suspense, of course!  "Panic, Chaos, and Disorder" meets to help each other write better--all the way up to best seller.  We were meeting on the third Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Arlington, but are reconsidering the format.  Dates are subject to change.  Visitors are welcome.

Requirements:

• Must be writing a mystery/suspense/thriller or genre novel for traditional professional print publication through an agent
• Committed to writing a novel length project and have significant time to devote to it 
• Provide chapters by email for constructive oral critique during the meeting
• Must critique other members' work
• Member of Washington Independent Writers (WIW) www.washwriter.org
• Sharing a bag of chips or munchies isn't required, but bringing your favorite is welcome
• Dedicated to professional quality

How We Critique:

We focus on the high end of the story quality--the overall issues involving plot, setting, characters, timeline, genre, and especially the marketability.  See list of Top Ten points for successful critiques.  As we are thriller/suspense, the stakes are important.

Here's a good article on writing critique groups.

Leadership:

We are a self-directed group coordinated by Emory.  Members participate in leadership by providing constructive options for improvement.  Active participation turns listening into utilizing.

Meeting of July, 2006

We are active participants at both the WIW annual spring writers conference and the WIW small groups' Camp Night in the summer.

For more information, please visit the WIW Web site.

For more articles on what a thriller is, please visit our articles section.